Western disturbance keeps Delhi temp in check

Delhi's minimum temperature is 10°C, normal for the season, but expected to drop. Air quality improved to "poor" but may worsen again soon.

New Delhi

New Delhi, India - Dec. 10, 2025: People seen out during a cold winter morning at Ashok Road in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

An ongoing western disturbance continued to keep the minimum temperature at bay, with Delhi clocking a minimum of 10 degrees Celsius (°C) on Wednesday, which was around normal for this time of the year. It was 9.2°C on Tuesday, 8.7°C on Monday and 8°C on Sunday, continuing a rising trend. The India Meteorological Department has forecast a dip in minimum temperature by 2-3°C by Friday.

Delhi’s maximum stood at 25.2°C, which was around normal. It is likely to remain between 23 and 25°C till Friday, forecasts show.

“The minimum temperature may initially fall, but it will rise again due to back-to-back western disturbances influencing the region till December 18,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet.

Meanwhile, strong winds continued to positively impact Delhi’s air quality, continuing an improvement in the air quality index for a second consecutive day, amid rising temperatures. On Wednesday, Delhi’s 24-hour air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 259 (“poor”) at 4pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) daily bulletin. In comparison, it was 282 at 4pm on Tuesday and 314 at 4pm on Monday.

This was also Delhi’s lowest AQI in over a month, since the Capital clocked an AQI of 202 (“poor”) on November 2. Overall, this is only the fifth “poor” air day since November 1. However, forecasts by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi warned that the reprieve may be short-lived, with the AQI set to deteriorate once again.

“Delhi’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor’ category from December 11 till December 13. The outlook for the subsequent six days from December 14 shows the air quality is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category,” said the EWS in its daily bulletin.

The CPCB classifies air quality as “moderate” when it is between 101 and 200, as “poor” when the AQI is between 201 and 300 and as “very poor” when it is between 301 and 400. Beyond 400, air quality is termed “severe”.